Casino celebrates 10 years in Queens
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When Resorts World Casino opened 10 years ago, “the naysayers thought the apocalypse was coming,” recalled state Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. (D-Howard Beach). “And they find, 10 years later, that was the furthest it could have been from the truth.”
Resorts World New York City, the only casino in the city, celebrated its 10th anniversary on Oct. 28, a celebration preceded by the August grand opening of the new luxury hotel, Hyatt Regency JFK Airport.
On Oct. 29, a celebration was held with about 45 elected officials, community leaders, nonprofits and Resorts World staff.
“It was an opportunity for us to share our gratitude and thanks to them for all of the support that they’ve shown Resorts World New York City over the last ten years,” said Meghan Taylor, vice president of government affairs and public relations at Genting Americas Inc., which operates the casino.
Addabbo recalled residents’ initial concerns over crime, gambling, prostitution and traffic but said they did not come to fruition.
“Yes, there were issues with traffic early on and we addressed them,” he said.
Addressing addiction remains a priority, he added.
“It was a major milestone to have a casino of its type here, the first of its kind in the city. It is certainly a feather in the cap and something to admire for the borough of Queens,” said Addabbo, who was on Community Board 10 when officials were working to save the Aqueduct Race Track.
The South Ozone Park casino and hotel neighbors Aqueduct, which the “racino” is credited for keeping afloat 10 years ago. It was decided at the time that the casino could exist only if Aqueduct remained open.
Aside from being a gaming and entertainment destination, with over 6,500 slots and electronic table games and six dining options, RWNY has transformed over the years to meet the demands of the community. A year after opening, the casino became a site for Hurricane Sandy preparation and recovery and in 2016, a partnership allowed NYC Emergency Management to use part of its parking lot as a Logistics Staging Area for deployment of supplies and equipment. Throughout the Covid pandemic, testing and vaccinations were administered at the racetrack and casino.
“They were there and they stepped up,” said Addabbo.
Resorts World has been a site for early voting, too.
The casino also provides other benefits to the community, with $3 billion in revenue to support New York’s public schools, more than 50 partnerships with community organizations and thousands of union jobs for local residents over the years. They currently staff about 900 employees.
“When I look at that site, I see jobs. I need to see job creation, an economic generator,” said Addabbo, who is chair of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee.
One of the casino’s community partnerships is with the Ozone Park Residents Block Association. The civic group’s president, Sam Esposito, says that although he wishes the community saw more donations to local organizations, that Resorts World has been a good partner.
“If we have a problem, they pick up the phone. They’re ready, willing and able to be a community center,” he said. “When we needed food for the food pantry, they were donating it to us.”
Our Neighbors Civic Association of Ozone Park said it has had a different experience.
“There has been very little interaction, to be honest,” said the president, Joe Caruana. He said the casino recently asked for a free ad to be taken out of the group’s newsletter. The casino said it simply wanted to update it with a correct logo that met brand standards.
Through Resort World Gives, $3 million has been donated to over 200 local organizations, according to RWNY’s website.
Esposito hopes that growth at the casino could result in more support for local organizations.
“We’ll hopefully expand,” said Addabbo. “We’ll talk about this as we enter our January session, how we possibly do gaming as a full-fledged casino at Resorts World, or maybe we look to expand it with mobile sports betting.”
Taylor said that Resorts World will continue to work with leaders to ensure it is awarded a full commercial casino license and that the casino also looks forward to business travel picking back up.
“We are thrilled to see the number of folks coming back to our property and experiencing a new, revived luxurious entertainment option right in the backyard of Queens,” she said.
In September, RWNY brought in a net win of $52,019,421, the revenues remaining after payout.
Resorts World will expand its reach in New York State over the coming year, too. Next summer, Resorts World Hudson Valley is set to open and construction on the Resorts World Catskills’ Monster Golf Course will begin, too.
“I want to thank the millions of guests, the thousands of team members, and the entire Queens community for making the last decade one that was filled with fun, excitement and camaraderie,” said Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, at the anniversary celebration.
“The best part of today is knowing that with our talented team, the support of the Queens community, and our wonderful guests, the next decade will be even better, and we can’t wait to celebrate our 20th anniversary in 2031.”
The casino will continue to celebrate the anniversary through 2021 with promotions and more.
